Surprisingly Enough
by diadem-de-amor
Summary: Respect? Admiration? Did he even know what those words meant? She doubted it. Slight KibaxIno oneshot.


Ino Yamanaka sat, chin perched on her hand, staring out the window of her family's flower shop. It was her turn to run the counter, and it was an unusually slow day. Therefore, her interest was perked when she heard the tinkling chimes that signified a customer. She sat up straight and peered around a shelf of tulips in an attempt to identify her new source of semi-entertainment …. Only to have her hopes dashed as she recognized a familiar head of scruffy brown hair and tattooed cheekbones. Kiba Inuzuka entered the store, noticeable lacking his canine companion. Ino sighed. Dogboy presence most likely signified an annoyance, rather than a potential sale. She doubted the boy had the charm or tact to think to give someone flowers.

"Oy there, Dogbreath!" she yelled from her seat on a stool behind the counter_. Eh, insulting Kiba would be as much fun as helping a customer, _she mused. Maybe more.

Said boy responded with a "Feeling feisty, today, eh, Ino?" before having the nerve to hoist himself onto _her _counter. As if he owned the place.

Narrowing her eyes at his actions, but deciding to let it slide (because she was so insufferably _bored_), Ino let out a rather arch "May I help you?" while crossing her arms and shooting him a look that said "Don't waste my time."

Kiba, totally ignoring all her significant glances, made himself more comfortable, and replied "I need some flowers."

With a wide-eyed, seemingly adoring look, Ino shot back, "and you came to a flower shop? Well, that was clever."

Shaking his head and grinning Kiba said in a pleading voice, "Come on help me out here, please? I'm lost at these sort of things." And, his grin growing wider, he said, "Plus, I really need to impress this girl. She's special."

Relenting, and it definitely had nothing to do with his eyes, she mentally assured herself, Ino replied, "Fine." and made her way out from behind the counter.

"What are you wanting to say to this 'special' girl of yours?"

With a wolfish grin that warned Ino of trouble to come, Kiba opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by a hand coming dangerously near his head.

"Idiot! Don't even think about it! And off my counter!" Ino yelled her palm coming close to the side of his head yet again as he leapt down, laughing.

"What?" he defended, trying to block Ino's swatting hands and deathly glares. "I didn't say anything!"

Ino simply narrowed her eyes. "If you think I'm going to help you while you go off perversing the flower language, you're sadly mistaken."

"Fine, fine, the brown haired boy mumbled. "I'll be serious." Leaning against a wall near a display of bright pink _somethings, _Kiba affected a 'thinking' pose before turning back to Ino and saying "I need something that tells her I admire her, I respect her. This girl's really important to me. I'd like something that shows affection, too." he added, after a moment's thought.

He looked back at the blonde haired kunoichi/flower-entrepreneur, who seemed to be questioning his authenticity, but who in reality was pondering over the very real emotion she saw in the dog-nin's eyes. _"Who's the girl?" _she wondered She was pretty sure she wouldn't mind a guy thinking about _her_ like that. Kiba's rather sharp ears, were however deaf to internal monologue, and so, thinking she was doubting him, he decided to goad her into helping him.

"C'mon, Ino. You don't know what flowers to pick? You're supposed to be good at this! Hmph, maybe I'll get Sakura to help me…. She's named after a flower, she'll do."

Eyes quickly lighting with annoyance, and all former consideration gone, Ino shot back, "I know what symbolizes them! I'm just not sure you know what words like "Respect" and "Affection" mean!" Turning around with a huff, Ino made her way quickly down several aisles, grabbing at several unknown (to him, at any rate,) species of flowers, before turning back toward the front of the store.

She went back to her original station behind the counter, and began to wrap her montage of flowers in a silky yellow ribbon, before thrusting the bouqet at him and outright snarling: " Heather for admiration. Sage for respect. And Stock for affection." She then railed off a price to him, (after mentally and graciously deciding not to tax for obnoxiousness,) and bid him a short "Goodbye."

Having been dismissed, the dog-nin turned and headed for the exit, but not before flashing the blue-eyed girl yet another self-satisfied smirk.

After Kiba's visit, the day flew by for, though she had only two more customers: some sap buying a dozen red roses (Like, really? Originality, please?), and an adorable girl with huge blue eyes who wanted a bouquet for her mother in the hospital.

Because Kiba had managed to thoroughly annoy her, and because Ino was most definitely a grudge holder, she had mulled over his presence in the shop the rest of the day. By the time she had cleaned up and locked down the shop, and was making her way toward her family's compound, she had convinced herself that Kiba hadn't even really needed any flowers, and that he had only come into her family's shop to make her angry. In her mind, it sounded like something the boy would do.

With that conclusion firmly in place, Ino left for the day, and put the morning's events out of her mind. Only to nearly die of a heart attack the next morning on her way to the store as she passed Tsume Inuzuka practically _cooing_ to Kiba's sensei Kurenai about the bouquet of flowers she had received for her birthday. _From her son._


End file.
